40 Moments to Where We Are
by Majesta Moniet
Summary: Challenge Response. From enemies to reluctant teammates. From reluctant teammates to friends. From friends to something more. SkyZ.
1. Album

Author's Notes- This is in response to Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes. I will connect all parts of this collection in a story format. So everything will move in a chronological order.

Couple- Sky/Z friendship and eventually Sky/Z romance

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers and do not profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Album  
_

It had been months since he'd last looked through the blue-leather bound book that was clutched so tightly in his hands. Disgrace and fear of broken pride had kept Sky from retrieving the photo album from its place on his nightstand. Inside were multiple pictures of him and the people he cared about mostly smiling and having a good time. At least those were the kind of images that filled the pages the last time he had looked through it. That was before A-squad went MIA. Before he had become the _blue_ ranger.

For some reason Sky couldn't shake the feeling that if he opened the cover, the pictures would be far more grim. His father's smiles had more than likely turned into ashamed frowns at his only son's failure to be the best ranger. That was not how Sky wanted to see his father, and so the small album had stayed closed and unused for the past several months.

After discovering the truth behind his father's demise, however, Sky felt a great need to thumb through his past. If only he could open it…not that he wasn't physically able. It was just…just…so hard gather up his waning courage and confront the disappointment of the man he had idolized for so long.

"Hey, Sky, everyone's chipping in for pizza. You interested?"

He looked up at Z and shook his head. "I'm not really hungry."

She shrugged carelessly. "If you say so…"

The blue ranger looked back down at book in his lap blankly, and was surprised when a pair of black combat boots stepped into his line of vision. He had thought that she would just leave. He had _wished_ she would just leave.

Z looked down at him quizzically. "What's that," she asked, her tone innocent.

"A photo album," was his simple, and he hoped dismissive reply. Instead the yellow ranger seemed to take this as invitation as she took a seat on the bed next to him.

"Look, Z…I'm really not in the mood to entertain anyone."

A thin eyebrow rose in amusement. "You're _never_ in the mood to entertain anybody," Z said knowingly. "You'd rather sit in here by yourself all broody. And to tell the truth, it's very depressing to watch, and I don't like being depressed. So this is me not letting you be your lonely brooding self."

Z had a tendency to be stubborn when it came to being told to step down, so Sky decided against telling her to back off and returned to staring at the photo album. Several silent moments drifted by and Z kept shifting her focus between Sky's eyes and the book that shared their color.

"Are you gonna open that?" she inquired.

He shrugged. "Maybe."

Patience had never been one of her more polished virtues. "Well, my curiosity is peaked and since you can't seem to make up your mind…" said Z as she quickly snatched the book from his lap, "…then you won't mind if I flip through it."

It took Sky a moment to realize what had happened before he jumped to his feet in defense. "Z!"

"What?" she asked while shielding the book behind her back and out of Sky's reach.

"Give it back," he commanded urgently. The smile on her face only widened.

"Why? Is there something in here you don't want me to see?"

His back straightened past his usual perpendicular angle to the floor. No matter what, he was getting that album back. "It's personal."

A sly gleam entered the morena's eyes, and she brought a hand from behind her back to shake at him in playful reprimand. "Why, Cadet Tate, it's against SPD code A39 to have any form of indecent exposure taped or otherwise recorded."

The smug look on her face was answered with Sky commenting, "Actually it's code A28. And no, it's not porn." Z shook her head but tossed him the book.

"Figures. I should have known not to quote the SPD Regulations Manual against you. It's like quoting the bible in the in front of the Pope."

He gave her a dry look. "Very funny." The attempt to indirectly improve his foul disposition having failed, Z rolled her eyes.

"Come on. Lighten up, Sky. You know that offer for pizza still stands." A deep sigh then a shake of his head, and Sky returned to his earlier position on the bed.

Z watched his heavy movements. Pizza, she decided, could wait.

The mattress dipped with her additional weight. Z tapped a finger against the cover of the album. "Are going to show me what's in this thing or what?"

And for some unexplainable reason, Sky's hands easily opened the cover. In the next twenty minutes, he shared with that girl a past he himself was so unsure of.

_To be continued_


	2. Knight

Author's Notes- This is in response to Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes

Couple- Sky/Z friendship

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers and do not profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to WhereWe Are

_Knight _

"What about this one?"

Z stared hard at the picture in an attempt to discern the image.

"What is it?" she questioned after tilting her head sideways and still being unable to make it out.

"Sponge Bob. You know the sponge from that old cartoon show kids used to watch all the time. Lived in a pineapple under the sea."

Her lips parted in a small 'o' of comprehension. "So you want me to go as a mildly perverted bathroom scrubber who has a gender confused starfish for a friend."

"Patrick was not gender confused, just a little slow."

White teeth bit down on pink lips to hide a smile. "You sure do know a lot about this Sponge Bob thing, Sky. Sounds like you were a devoted fan."

A frown creased his forehead. Sky crossed his arms over his chest. "If you don't want me to help you, Z, there are more important things I could be doing." The yellow ranger huffed a sigh and she threw her hands up in surrender.

"All right. All right. No more Sponge Bob cracks, I promise."

He gave a satisfied nod.

In front of them was a wall stacked with packaged costumes and Halloween accessories; so many that it boggled the mind. There was everything from vampire cloaks…to a cheap Sponge Bob getup. Yet, after forty-five minutes of browsing, nothing held up to Z's hopes.

"Do you see _anything_ you like?" Sky inquired.

Z shrugged. "I see lots of things I like, but I want to wear something I _love_. It's my first Halloween party, and I want it to be special."

It had been a surprise to Sky when earlier that day Z confessed that she had never dressed up for Halloween or gone trick-or-treating. As a kid it had been the highlight of Sky's year. Mountains of sugar slung over his shoulder in an old batman pillowcase hardly slowed him down as his mom and dad took him door to door in a neighborhood close to SPD headquarters. And every year, of course, he had adorned a red ranger suit with a plastic mask. Those were some of the happier moments in his life, and he felt sympathy for Z not ever experiencing that.

"Oh! How pretty."

The exclamation drew Sky's attention to the silver, sparkling item held tightly in Z's hands. His lips corked into a smile as he recognized the gem-encrusted plastic as a tiara. A typical first costume for a girl.

"I never really thought of you as the princess type."

She slid a finger over the curve of the crown. "All girls are."

It was true. Normally the role of fluffy, delicate princess was more of Syd's part to play, but it didn't mean that spunky, down-to-earth Z didn't like to be the dolled-up, fairytale damsel every once in a while. A girl could indulge herself, couldn't she?

Z swiftly found an appealing dress and a string of plastic pearls to decorate her throat. Once satisfied, she turned to her companion and asked, "So, what are you dressing up as?"

He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets. "I think I'm a little old for costumes."

Z scoffed. "What! And disappoint all those kids? You're only like…a whole two years older than me."

A 'zip' was heard as Z rummaged through her purse for a certain piece of paper. With a smile of success she unfolded the letter and began to read it out loud. "Dear Volunteer, we would like to thank you for donating your time to help out the children here at St. Amy's Orphanage this Halloween…hours will begin at 5:30 and last until 8:00…please be at the south entrance already dressed in your costume by 5:00 so that you can be assigned a group to chaperone."

She waved the letter triumphantly. "It's practically a requirement." The hopelessness of the situation dawned on him, and he gave in.

"Alright I'll do it…for the kids."

"Great. Since I'm going as the dainty princess, you can be my gallant knight."

Z made quick work of finding a chain mail shirt and a white tunic imprinted with a red lion on the front. A shield and sword finished the ensemble. The two were through checkout and in the car before Sky could make any objections.

Later that night…

The halls of the SPD academy were dark as five strangely clad B Squad cadets returned from their night of community service.

"I told you, Jack. All the kids absolutely adored your costume." The scarecrow sent a wink at Miss Universe.

"Yeah, they did. Didn't they?"

Syd smiled and shook her head.

"No one knew what I was," muttered Bridge.

"That's okay, Bridge. Buttery toast was a very…unique idea."

"Yeah, unlike Princess and Knight in Shining Armor over there," Jack said jerking a thumb in the direction of Sky and Z.

Z shrugged. "Actually, Sky and I got several compliments on our costumes. This little old lady even took a picture."

"I still don't think its fair you guys got to work together," Syd pouted, "I had to go around with this woman named Janice, and she kept singing and singing and singing. Plus it was killer on my feet having to walk around in these heels."

All of them chuckled, with Sky simply saying it was the luck of the draw.

Bridge wagged a finger. "Not true. I over heard Ms. Hoover, the lady in charge of St. Amy's, and she thought you guys were a young couple 'in love'." Bridge made his eyes wide and puckered his lips dramatically.

That drawled more howls of laughter from the group. Z winked suggestively at the pink-faced Sky. "We've been figured out. Darn you guys are good."

And the group went their separate ways, the night's festivities giving them all sweet dreams. Some sweeter than others…

_To be continued_


	3. Test

Author's Note- This chapter didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but I'm too lazy to rewrite it. 

Couple- Sky/Z friendship and eventually Sky/Z romance

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers and do not profit from the use of it's content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Test _

The rec room was filled with cheers and whoops of celebrations before the rangers of B-squad quickly returned their attention to the blaring television screen. The five of them had crowded onto the sofa and were watching the football game with bated breath. It was just one of those games that couldn't be missed (commander Cruger, however, didn't share that sentiment, so the cadets were still 'on duty'). The Green Jaws vs. the Razors.

Blue and black shirts had been tugged on over gray SPD uniforms, with the Razor's logo stamped on the front. Bridge had his morpher clutched in his right hand and was holding it up to his mouth, giving a play by play commentary.

"After an extraordinary interception by Marcus Slack, the Razors have the ball at the Green Jaws' 15 yard line with only 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter! Will Dan Chase be able to sink the pass and pull off another big upset?"

Four pairs of eyes turned and glared daggers at him.

"What? It'd be an upset for the other team…"

They shook their heads and turned back around. Bridge resumed, "Two receivers on the right side and one on the left. The ball is snapped….Chase makes the throw towards Evans…and…hey!"

The screen went black.

"What the-"

"Rangers, at attention!"

Reluctantly, the rangers got to their feet and saluted Commander Cruger. His intimidating figure stood at ease in front of darkened TV screen, and he motioned for the rangers to stand down.

"You have worked under me for almost a year now, and I have challenged you physically and emotionally. You have completed your S.W.A.T. training where you learned to work as a team. But now," he paused and looked each one of them in the eye, "you will be tested more demandingly than ever before. It will take courage, wit, understanding, and mental endurance. It will be a very long and difficult journey."

B-squad shared uneasy looks. "What kind of test, Sir," Sky asked, ready to take on the challenge. Cruger nodded over his shoulder at Dr. Manx, and she stepped forward with five thick packets of paper and passed them down the line of teens.

"There is a chance that you may all fail," the commander said finally.

After reading the front page of the stapled papers, Bridge looked up in confusion. "Sir? A competence aptitude test?"

Cruger sighed. "I'm afraid so, Cadet. It's now regulation that all SPD employees take one every six months. I have the utmost," he coughed into his paw-like hand, "faith that you will all pass."

He was about to leave the rec room once again when he said as an afterthought, "Good luck."

Kat nodded and said, "They're do by the end of the week," before following the Commander out the door.

The five just stood there for several moments. "Was it just me, or did it sound like the Commander thinks we're all going to fail?" Z questioned sarcastically.

Bridge flipped though the first few pages and remarked, "Well, he's right. We're doomed."

"You might," Sky said, "but I plan on passing it with flying colors."

Syd nodded in agreement, "Me too. We're competent…right? Right?"

Each one of the rangers snagged a piece of furniture and settled down with their packet and a pencil. As if a simple aptitude test could get the better of them. Yeah right!

30 minutes later…

"Anyone know what a hycogragulatorphon is?"

No response.

1 hour later…

"So, if the crippled guy is on one side of the stream with the little girl, how does mom get back to the other side where the baby and the clown are?"

Silence.

Two hours later…

"That's it. I'll finish it tomorrow," Jack snapped and left.

Syd covered a yawn with her hand. "I think I'm gonna go to bed too. Night."

Bridge sighed, "And then there were three."

Thirty minutes later…

"And then there were two," Z murmured as Bride rose from the floor and left. She glanced over at Sky who was glancing at her. Ponderingly, she tapped a finger against her chin.

"So…do you have the answer to number 39?"

He shrugged suspiciously, "Maybe. Do you know number 45?"

"Possibly."

The two stared hard at one another.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"It depends. Are you thinking that we should work together to achieve a common goal of passing this stupid aptitude test?"

"Something along those lines, yes."

They stared at each other again in silence, guilt keeping them from sharing answers.

Finally Z said, "It wouldn't really be cheating. It's not like he told us we couldn't help each other."

"I agree. In fact, this may be one of those teamwork tests in disguise, where he actually _wants _us to work together," Sky commented thoughtfully.

"You're probably right. A competence aptitude test sounded awfully fishy to me."

"Very fishy."

They shook hands.

"I'm in."

"Me too."

Next week…

One again the five rangers stood lined up in front of their commanding officer, however, this time in the command center.

"Well, cadets, I've received your scores, and I have some good news and some bad news."

B-squad held their breath in anticipation.

"36 of the personnel here at SPD failed the test, but I must add that our station scored in the top 20 of all the SPD facilities in our galaxy."

Z bit her lip. That meant there was a 64 percent chance that she passed.

"The good news is that all of you passed."

High-fives were shared and everyone smiled brightly in relief.

"Yes, well done. Well done. Now you're dismissed. Oh, Delgado. Tate. Your scores were some of best at the academy. Excellent work."

The two shrugged. Sky asked slyly, "Even better than yours, Sir?"

Kat chuckled from her position by the monitor, and Cruger growled at the insinuation. "Don't be ridiculous, Cadet. Or perhaps you would like for Dr. Manx to look over surveillance footage from the rec room last week."

Z shook her head. "No, of course not. Sky was just joking, Sir. He's a funny guy. Bye!"

The yellow and blue rangers made a beeline for the door.

Once safe in the hallway, Z threw her arms around Sky's neck in a tight hug. "We did it!"

Sky froze at the close contact and then awkwardly patted her back. "Y-yeah, I guess we did."

"You _guess_?" she exclaimed. "We kicked but! I think we make a pretty good team, Blue." And with that, Z released him. Smiling, she left him to go find the others.

Sky watched her retreating form. After she disappeared around the corner, he murmured, "Yeah, we do."

_To be continued_


	4. Game

Author's Note- It's been a while since my last update, but I have so many stories in the making that my head's spinning.

Couple- Sky/Z friendship and eventually Sky/Z romance

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers and do not profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Game _

Z was painfully sent to the ground by another powerful blow from Wastetar. Syd and Sky soon joined her on the pavement. The yellow ranger pushed the aches and throbs from her mind and sprung to her feet to rejoin the fight. She sent a surprise kick to his back, knocking him off balance. Bridge took advantage of the disturbance and fired a powerful shot at Wastetar's side.

The alien stumbled back, growling at the wound. The rangers regrouped and lined up imposingly.

"Give it up, Wastetar. It's time to stand judgment," Sky declared and whipped out his judgment device. The move didn't seem to impress their advisory, and Z wondered if he knew what was coming.

Wastetar broke out into the evil laugh most criminals seemed to have down so well. "Hah! The only thing that's about to be judged is your survival skills," and with that declaration, a third eye appeared on the monster's head glowing a bright green.

"What is _that_?" Syd said in disgust.

Z could say nothing as she stared intently at the eye. An unexplainable heat began to run from her head to the rest of her body. Falling to her knees in pain, she groaned for help. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that her comrades were all sharing similar experiences.

Wastetar's chilling cackle became the only thing Z could hear beyond the pounding of blood in her eardrums. "Looks like were gonna play a little game, rangers! And this time, I'm going to have home field advantage."

Bursts of color filled the rangers' eyes as they felt themselves being teleported. Scared of losing contact with others, Z blindly reached out with her hand and grabbed at the smoothness of somebody's power suit. It felt as though they were being flown through time, and Z decided that she was going to throw up her breakfast if they didn't stop spinning soon.

Her prayers were answered when ground solidified beneath her knees. Hunched over, she blinked away the dots of color from her vision and gulped in breaths of air. She was burning up, so she removed her helmet in hopes of alleviating the scorching heat.

Panting breaths drew her attention to the person lying a couple feet away. Recognizing Sky's red uniform, she crawled over to him while trying to catch her breath. "Sky…" After helping him into a sitting position, she removed his helmet so he could breath in large gulps of air.

"My body felt like it was on fire," he heaved. Z nodded to confirm that she had felt the same. "Where are we?"

Not having taken in her surroundings earlier, Z was startled by his question. Where indeed? City streets and public buildings had been replaced by dirt and towering trees. "I have no idea. Where ever we are, Wastetar probably used some sort of teleportation device to get us here," she said thoughtfully.

Sky nodded in agreement, stood, and helped Z to her feet as well. The yellow ranger pulled out the tracking monitor and frowned when found no red blips on the radar. "I'm not picking up his signature."

Sky also looked puzzled. "Well he couldn't have gotten far. We can probably detransform for now while we're looking for him."

"But we wont show up on Syd or Bridge's radars if we're not in ranger form," Z reminded him, though she was surprised Sky had forgotten the detail.

"We find Wastetar, and we'll find the others," Sky said logically before slipping into 'squad leader' mode. There was no stopping him now. Z touched a button on her morpher and felt the power suit fade into khaki shorts and a green t-shirt. She hurried after him then slowed to match his pace.

The two continued on in silence for several minutes and kept their eyes open for the Wastetar or the other rangers. As Z was glancing down at the tracking monitor, she felt Sky come to a halt. Curious, she looked at him in question, "Do you see something?"

He shook his head and opened his mouth to say something but then he must have decided against it, for he closed it just as quickly. Z began to become amused as he repeated the process several times. "Sky?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, "Is there something you want to say."

He fidgeted and didn't meet her gaze. "Well…yes…no, not really," Sky said quickly then brushed past her. Z smiled at his unusual display of awkwardness and gently grabbed his arm as he hurried by.

"Come on, Sky, you can tell me. I know you want to," she teased lightly. When she saw that he still looked reluctant to open up, Z hid her smile and become more serious. Sky looked at her intently while battling an internal conflict. Finally he relaxed and nodded.

"Z…"

He stopped and Z waited patiently for him to gather himself.

"Things have really changed since you and Jack first showed up at S.P.D. I know that at first, I wasn't exactly welcoming but…" Sky took her hand in his, causing a twisty feeling to heat her stomach. "…I regret the way I acted."

"It's okay, Sky. It's in the past," Z assured him.

He nodded. "I know, and I want the future to be different…better between us." Z became very aware of Sky's close proximity as he took another step closer to her. She starred up into his eyes that were focused solely on her. The breath of his next words heated the skin of her cheek. "Z, whenever I'm with you I…I…"

His rough hand slide along her jaw, and Z was helplessly frozen by the heat of emotions tumbling though her.

"I…love you," he whispered before touching his lips gently to hers.

Heart thumping wildly at this astonishing turn of events, Z felt herself slowly responding to his touch. Her eyes closed, and the kiss continued. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer. Rational thought that had flown out the window moments ago came tumbling back as she realized what exactly she was doing.

She was kissing Sky Tate…and it felt so right. What would Syd and Bridge think if they found them? Startled by that thought, Z pulled away from the red ranger. "The others…we should be looking for them," she stumbled over her words as the light-headed buzz from the kiss refused to leave.

Sky shook his head decisively. "I don't care about them. Right now all I can think about is you." He pulled her into a deeper kiss this time, and Z would have been tempted to give into it again if it hadn't been for the brush of his uniform against her exposed arm. His uniform…

This time, Z pulled away from him with more urgency. She steadied her trembling body and looked over his attire suspiciously. "You're wearing the uniform," she murmured.

Sky looked confused. "Yeah. Of course I could take it off if you don't like it," he said teasingly, but Z didn't smile.

"We were eating at the shopping center when the alien attacked. You were wearing your blue sweater when we transformed." The pieces began to fit together. "You're not Sky," she accused.

The playfulness fell from the imposter's face. He sighed dramatically and said, "Well, well, well. So the little yellow ranger has figured it out. But I can be him if you want me to." He reached out and brushed his fingers along her cheek.

She smacked his hand away violently and took a step away. "Don't touch me!"

A condescending smirk quirked his lips. "But you didn't seem to mind a few moments ago. You liked it."

"You were controlling me," she hissed and narrowed her eyes.

"On the contrary. Your emotions did all the work. I simply used what you desire."

Z chose to ignore that comment and fell into a defensive stance. "What did you do to my friends?"

"Off playing the same game you are," he replied with a careless shrug. "But I wouldn't worry about them if I were you. They're just fine."

"I highly doubt that, and if you don't tell me where they are, I'm gonna kick your ass," she said coldly. The imposter smiled at the ranger's threat. He casually stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a step closer.

"And why do you want to find them?" he asked curiously.

Z scoffed and replied obviously, "So that we can defeat Wastetar and get out of this place."

The man frowned. "So you would go to your friends even if it meant destroying their happiness? How do you know that they even _want_ to be rescued?"

"What are you playing at?" Z asked with her eyes narrowed.

"Look around," he commanded, "where exactly do you think we are?"

Z had no idea and waited for the imposter to gloat his knowledge. "This is all in your mind, Z," he said slipping back into the way Sky would talk to her. "You're here because you _want_ to be. _I'm _here because you want me to be."

_To be continued_


	5. Dream

Author's Note- For anyone confused about how Z realized it wasn't Sky- they both detransformed after they landed and when they were kissing, Z noticed that he was wearing his gray SPD uniform (not his power ranger suit- sorry for the confusion) not the sweater he had been wearing earlier when they first ran into Wastetar.

Couple- Sky/Z friendship and eventually Sky/Z romance

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers and do not profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Dream _

"What do you mean," Z asked, but the fight had fallen out of her voice. He gave Sky's trademark half smile, and she had to remind herself it wasn't really him.

"You always need to be in the middle of everything. It's one of the things I love about you," he said quietly

"You don't even know me."

"Of course I do, Z. It me, Mr. Sky "SPD" Tate," he said smugly.

Z felt her heart thundering in her chest as she stared into the Sky's eyes, eyes that were too cruel to belong to her friend. "Your _not_ him," she denied through gritted teeth.

"What, you don't recognize your own knight in shinning armor, Princess?"

Why was he doing this? How could he possibly be able to know those details they shared? She threw her hands over her ears and shook her head. "Stay out of my head!" she yelled.

"But you brought me here. We're here together in your dream because it's what you want. My master looked inside of you to find your deepest desire…love. When he saw your growing affection for the red ranger, he sent me to play the part. We can be happy together, Z."

"Well he was wrong." Z moved to hit the number combination on her morpher only to find the device was no longer on her wrist.

The imposter dangled the morpher coyly in front of him. "Looking for this?"

"Fine," Z said, "we'll do this the hard way." With a small cry she dove at him, knocking them both to the ground. She landed a punch to his face, knocking his head back against the forest floor.

A groan escaped Z's lips as she was flipped forward off of her enemy. After rolling to her feet, she wasted no time in sending a kick at the now standing man. He deflected the blow with surprising ease, and retaliated with a few hits of his own. One caught Z square in the chest, and she was sent staggering backward into a nearby tree. Before she could even gain her balance, the man's hand closed around her throat.

"I didn't want to have to kill you, but I wont let you ruin Wastetar's plans," he deadpanned stoically.

Z fought for breath and for a moment she wondered that if she died in this dream, would her physical body suffer the consequences?

"Yes," the man stated having read her thoughts, "the body cannot survive without the mind."

Just as her vision began to blacken, Sky's face faded from her view.

"Hey, she's waking up."

The blurry outline of figures began to solidify as Z forced open the lids of her eyes. The yellow and pink blob of color took the form of an anxious looking Sydney.

"Syd?" she questioned with a moan. It felt as if a hammer had been taken to her head, the pounding so intense it was painful to concentrate. Her comrade nodded.

"Yeah, Z, it's me." Syd slowly helped Z into a sitting position, and the yellow ranger noticed she had been lying on a metal table giving her an odd "Doctor Frankenstein" sense of deja vu.

Vision now focused, she looked past Sydney where a talkative Bridge was helping up a disgruntled Sky.

"…and that was when I realized I had to be dreaming. What's the likelihood of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt actually going on a date with me to see a movie? It's far more likely we'd go see a live performance on Broadway."

"Where exactly are we? And what the hell just happened?" was Sky's impatient query.

Looking around, all that the rangers could see were the four tables and the surrounding darkness. A thick fog covered the ground up to their knees, making it hard to see what their surroundings were…or if they had any surroundings at all.

"I'd say that it's some sort of "pocket dimension." Wastetar is a Trogdan, and creating small realities is a common characteristic of the species," Bridge supplied.

"And how exactly are we supposed to get out?"

"Oh, you wont be," chuckled a scratchy voice, "leaving that is." Wastetar stepped from the blackness with a usual display of smug satisfaction. Z kicked into gear and grouped together with the others. "I hope that you all enjoyed your naps. What am I saying? Of course you did. It's not every day you get to live your fantasies."

Sky stepped forward. "We've had enough of your games. It's time to turn you in."

Four flashes of color, and the battle was on.

Later at the base…

Defeating Wastetar had ended up being a relatively easy task. Apparently the false realities he had created in each of their minds had taken a toll on the alien, depleting him of his earlier energy.

The four friends sat in the rec room, sharing the experiences that had prevailed while sleeping in Wastetar's lair.

"…four Oscars for my performance," Syd finished with a wide smile. She gently poked Sky's calf with her foot. "All right, Big Red, your time to share."

An uneasy expression crossed over Sky's face, and Z found herself leaning forward in the red, squishy couch she had settled on. It wasn't every day that one got an insight into the Sky's personal life. What was it that Sky wanted most?

"Well," he said slowly and made an uncomfortable gesture with his hands, "I was with my father."

A respectful silence fell over the group, no one really knowing how to reply. Syd broke the silence a few moments later once it started becoming awkward. "Alright, Z, that leaves you."

Color rushed to her cheeks as she remembered the passionate exchange she had shared with her squad commander. Z still wasn't sure how she felt about the desire Wastetar had used against her. It wasn't like she was in love with Sky. Sure he was handsome and sweet (when he wanted to be) but he was also her friend, her teammate. There was no way in hell she was telling them what happened.

"I was in love," she half fibbed.

Syd made a high-pitched squeal in her obvious excitement. "And who was the lucky guy?" she prodded.

Z made the briefest of glances in Sky's direction before saying, "No one I already know." Her clipped answer seemed to appease the group for the time being, for which Z was thankful.

They sat there for a few more minutes watching an old James Bond movie, until both Bridge and Sydney decided to call it a night.

Z found herself pretending to watch the movie instead of actually paying attention. Sky sat on the couch just a foot away, and she had become very conscious of the fact.

"You lied."

She refused to look at him and kept the pretense of being interested in the TV screen. "About what?"

"About what happened with Wastetar, what you saw."

"So did you," she said trying to keep her voice even. Z knew a lot about Sky's father after he opened up to her about it a few months back. He had moved on, so there was no reason that seeing his father would be his deepest desire. Sky had told her that he'd decided to look to the future and not dwell on the past.

"You don't know that," Sky said with irritation in his voice, "And don't try to change the subject. Why couldn't you just tell us what happened?"

Unbelievable. _He _was accusing _her_ of not being truthful? Z retorted, "Maybe I just wanted to keep it private. Why do you care anyway?"

"What? So an anonymous lover was the best you could come up with?" he challenged angrily. "Not very original, is it?"

Z jumped to her feet. For some reason beyond explanation, she was pissed. "God, you're such a hypocrite! You can't keep using your father as an excuse! At least I admit what I said wasn't the truth."

Sky was standing now as well, and he used his height to add to his menacing appearance. He raised his voice in defense and yelled, "You have _no_ right to tell me how to feel about my dad! You don't even know what it means to have parents that love you!"

Sky's words had the effect of a bucket of water being poured over a match. All the fire and fight rushed from Z's body, leaving her feeling cold. Tears gathered against her will, and she hurried from the room to keep them from being seen. All the way to her room, Z held the hope that Sky would come running up to apologize and to say that he had been a complete jerk.

He didn't.

_To be continued_


	6. Pride

Author's Note- Someone asked about when this took place and where Jack went- I started writing this before the last episode of SPD, when Jack was still around, so that why he was in the first few chapters. After seeing that last episode, I wondered whether or not to have one of the chapters dealing with him leaving and decided that it would be too far away from the Sky/Z theme or be too cliché. So I just sorta jumped ahead about a month from where the show left off. It's my fault that I forget to mention the span of time, so I apologize.

Couple- Sky/Z friendship and eventually Sky/Z romance

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers and do not profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Pride_

With a loud thud Bridge's back smacked onto the padded floor, where he laid breathing heavily. He groaned and wiped away the sweat that had accumulated on his brow over the past 45 minutes. The blue ranger was beginning to get accustomed to this position and wondered if it was even worth standing up again just to be knocked back down. "A little help, please," he murmured, and Z leaned over and offered her hand in assistance.

The four B-squad cadets had been sparring in the indoor gym due to the abnormally strong downpour of rain outside. At the beginning of the training session, Z had immediately volunteered to spar with Sydney in a pointed effort not to have to interact with Sky. She had avoided him the last three days since their 'blow up' as Z liked to think about it. What he had said was unforgivable in her eyes, and she couldn't help being in a crappy mood whenever he was around.

Unfortunately for Sydney, Z let loose her pent up anger during training. After twenty-five minutes of brutal hand-to-hand combat, the pink ranger had switched over to being Sky's partner for the katana portion. That was twenty minutes ago.

"Man, Z, looks like someone had their buttery toast this morning," said Bridge while accepting her hand and getting to his feet. "You're really on today."

Z shrugged, her chest heaving from the exertion of pushing herself. "I guess I feel a little uptight."

He raised his eyebrows. "A little? I feel like I've been hit by a blue pickup truck with an Indiana license plate driven by an over enthused grandma going 25 miles an hour down a dirt road."

Despite her sour mood, Z couldn't help a small smile at her friend's words. "And how would you know what that feels like?"

"It happened to me when I was seven. Good thing I recovered without any long-term damages. Though I did have this nasty bruise for a while. It was green, yellow, blue, purple, red, and if you looked at it from a certain angle it looked like a turtle. In fact it almost looked exactly like my pet turtle named Herman, but I wasn't really sure how…" Bridge trailed off when he noticed his partner was suppressing laughter. "What?"

Z shook her head ruefully, "I wouldn't be too sure about that long term damage."

Sky's authoritative voice broke in, "Hey, you're supposed to be training, not standing around holding a conversation."

Z's demeanor did a complete 360, and she turned narrowed eyes in Sky's direction. "We were just taking a minute to cool down." The word came out as a warning not to push her, but Sky went on at it.

"Well you can take all the minutes you want _after_ we're done training. Until then, get back at it." He didn't say it cruelly, but as a command. It just so happened that Z was in no mood to be told what to do by him at that moment. She marched over and planned to give him a piece of her mind, when Sydney intervened.

"Why don't we rotate again, so that everyone has a chance to fight everyone else?" she offered. It was obvious to her that Sky and Z had something to workout. Bridge happily agreed, leaving Z and Sky to glare at each other.

"Hand-to-hand or katana?" Sky asked stoically.

Z threw her wooden sword to the side. "Hand-to-hand."

The two fell into position and began exchanging blows. Z quickly found her rhythm from earlier and gained the upper hand, sending Sky into one of the padded walls. He shook it off and fell into position once again. "What's got you so pissed off?" he questioned before sending a right hook that she blocked.

"Oh please, you know exactly what's wrong."

Sky ducked under her roundhouse kick and said, "If you're talking about what happened after we defeated Wastetar, then you're right, I shouldn't have said that, and I'm sorry. And I'd appreciate it if you apologized as well." The surprise of his comment and the force of a well placed kick to her side left Z stumbling backwards.

"_I_ need to apologize to _you_?" she asked incredulously.

"I trusted you when I told you about my father! I told you things that I've never talked about to anyone before. And what did you do? You threw it in my face the first chance you got!"

Z frowned. "Threw it your face? I just told you the truth, something you didn't seem capable of doing that night."

Sky crossed his arms, "You lied to them too."

Z took up her fighting position again and resumed dealing blows. "Yeah, but when asked, at least I admitted to it!" Sky was silent, and she took that as opportunity to continue her raving. "And then you were a complete ass and made me feel like dirt because of my parents!" Her resentment climaxed and with an impressive series of punches she sent him to the ground. She stood over him, body heaving with emotion and exertion.

Sydney and Bridge had stopped their sparing moments ago and were openly staring at the two. Z, unable to take the tension and confused looks, angrily stalked from the gym.

Sydney put her hands on her hips and glared at Sky as he got to his feet. He saw her look and said, "What? She was completely out of line. There's no reason for-"

"Damn your pride, Sky!" Sydney said in frustration, causing both of her remaining teammates' eyes to widen. "Obviously you said something that really hurt her, and all you can do is make excuses. Apologize for heaven's sake! It doesn't make you any less of a man."

Sky waved a hand in the direction Z had left in. "I did apologize! You're only taking her side because you're a girl."

She rolled her eyes. "You are so clueless," she murmured before leaving the room as well.

Sky noticed that Bridge was still standing there starring at him oddly. "Don't tell me you agree with them," the red ranger pleaded.

Bridge frowned, "You never talked to _me_ about your father. Even after I opened up to you about my unrequited love for Shiloh and my buttery toast addiction, you remained silent. I am truly aghast."

It was Sky's turn to role his eyes heavenward. Now was so not the time. "With Z it was this whole…thing. It's complicated."

Bridge crossed his arms and looked at Sky skeptically. "So you and Z had a _thing_. And not just part of a thing, but a whole thing."

Sky made a face. "Not that kind of a thing. It was just that she came into my room and we got to talking, and I had this album out on my bed…"

"Oh, so you and Z had a thing in your room on your bed," Bridge said matter-of-factly.

Sky stumbled over his words, "No! Well…yes, but not _that_ kind of thing,"

Bridge looked at him quizzically. "Not what kind of thing?"

"The thing you're thinking about."

"Okay, so you _didn't_ have a thing with Z where you sat on your bed with a an album telling her about your father?"

"Yes!"

"Yes you didn't, or yes you did?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well then what kind of thing did you think I was thinking about? I think the thing I was thinking about was definitely not the thing you think I was thinking about, which in fact was more of a "thinging" than a thing. Wait, I said that wrong…no I was right. Oh my God, did you and Z have a thing!"

Sky stared at Bridge for several moments trying to decipher what he said or what thing he was talking about. Finally the red ranger managed, "Yes, we had a thing…I think. But not that kind of thing-"

"Then you definitely need to apologize." Bridge crossed his arms knowingly.

Sky sighed and ran a hand across his face. "I guess I was being a bit of a jerk."

"Try 'biggest jerk wad that ever walked the Earth.'," Bridge added.

Sky gave him an unimpressed look. "You don't even know what we were arguing about."

"No, but you two did have a thing, and that's all that matters. Once you have a thing with a girl, you're whipped for life," Bridged explained and patted his friend on the back sympathetically.

The blue ranger left the room with Sky yelling after him down the hall, "It wasn't that kind of a thing!"

_To be continued_


	7. Distraction

Couple- Sky/Z friendship and eventually Sky/Z romance

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers and do not profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Distraction _

After leaving the training quadrant, Z headed to her room where she could change out of her sweat-drenched clothes. Aggressively pulling at her top, she tried to get the tight spandex over her head. She groaned in frustration when it became stuck after only getting it halfway off, leaving her blind and in an awkward position. This was so not her day.

Sore arms aching in protest, she viciously flailed and wriggled in an effort to get rid of the spandex cage. When she realized that she was only making the problem worse, she screamed in annoyance. "Stupid shirt! Stupid clothing! Stupid Sky!" she seethed.

The quiet swoosh of the door indicated the arrival of her roommate, who had undoubtedly come to sooth her ruffled feathers with promises of manicures at the spa. "Syd! Help me get this thing off! I can't see what I'm doing," Z begged.

When no immediate help was offered, Z huffed indignantly, "Syd, help now and be amused later."

Finally another pair of hands started to aid in the removal of the garment. Z wadded up the shirt and gave it a satisfying toss across the room. She pushed dark locks out of her face and said, "For minute I thought you were just going to stand there watching."

"I could have, but I think it would have earned me a slap."

Z whipped around, immediately recognizing that the masculine voice did not belong to her pink teammate. Instead she came face to face with a moderately tall man with unruly blond hair, dark brown eyes, and a handsome face.

"Excuse me but who are you?" Z asked in complete confusion, still not grasping the situation.

"David. David Myers," he said with a half smile. He offered his hand, which she shook hesitantly.

"I'm Elizabeth Delgado, but everyone calls me Z," she paused and said, "I'm sorry, what exactly are you doing in my room?"

He clasped his hands together awkwardly. "Well, you see, I was looking for central command…I thought this was the door, and then you were…having problems…with the shirt. You said something about a syd, and at that point I could either run away in embarrassment or help you in embarrassment. The latter seemed the most noble thing to do, but in hindsight I think it would have been a lot less awkward."

Z chuckled uncomfortably. "Well, thanks for the help with the…oh, my god." Her hand that settled on her waist came into direct contact with flesh. A look of horror crossed her face. "I'm not wearing a shirt." Z's fear was confirmed when she looked down at her bra-clad upper body.

"Yeah, that was where the awkward part came in."

Z scrambled over to her dresser where she yanked out a tank top and hurriedly pulled it on over her head. She was sure that her face was an unflattering shade of red by the time she was fully clothed and once again facing this David guy. "Sorry about the wardrobe malfunction."

He brushed the apology aside with a shake of his head, "I'm the one who should be apologizing for accidentally barging in your room."

"I wish all guys could apologize that easily," Z mumbled under her breath, not forgetting her earlier anger.

"What was that?"

Z shook her head, "Nothing. Do you still need help getting to central command?" Z had a feeling Syd would be showing up soon, and she wasn't in the mood to explain her behavior during training. It would be best to leave before she arrived.

David nodded, his brown eyes looking hopeful. "It'd be great if you could point me in the right direction."

She walked past him and out the door. "I'll do one better and take you there myself." The two walked down the SPD halls with David asking questions every now and then about the different labs and training facilities that they passed.

After passing the second gym, he turned and asked, "So, Elizabeth, how often do the rangers train? I imagine it's a great deal more than what I was committed to at the SPD Academy in California."

"Now of days we spend a lot of our time using SPD technology to track and detect illegal alien activity, but we still train five times a week to keep fresh. And you can call me Z," she answered good-naturedly. Talking to David was distracting her from negative thoughts about Sky, leaving her in a better mood.

He clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Is it all right if I call you Elizabeth? It's a beautiful name." It wasn't said flirtatiously or even shyly. It was a simple compliment that made Z smile.

"Thank you."

"Z, wait up." Her smile fell instantly, and she fought the urge to pretend that she didn't hear Sky calling after her. With a sigh she turned around to face the approaching red ranger.

"What do you want, Sky?"

He sighed and shifted his weight uneasily. "About earlier, I just wanted to…" He trailed off as his eyes fell on David who was standing off to the side of Z. "Who's this?"

Before Z could respond, David stepped up and offered his hand. "David Meyers."

Sky's eyebrows were furrowed in thought as he slowly shook David's hand. "Meyers…You wouldn't happen to be related to Taylor or Eric Meyers, would you?"

"Actually, they're my parents."

Sky looked surprised. "Well, then it's an honor to meet you. My father was good friends with your dad. He was a great ranger." When David continued to look at him in confusion Sky said, "I'm sorry, my name's Schuyler Tate. My dad…"

"Was the previous A-Squad red ranger," David finished with a smile of recognition. "Yeah, I remember the name Tate. Your father was a serious hero, man."

Sky nodded. "My dad learned everything from Eric."

Z stood forgotten by the side scowling over the fact that her new acquaintance was getting chummy with the man she was pissed off at. So their fathers knew each other, big deal! She had found David first, so Sky was just going to have to back off and find friends somewhere else. "Well," Z said as she looped her arm through David's, "we better get going. I would hate to keep the commander waiting. Bye, Sky."

She not-so-subtly dragged David down the hall while glaring over her shoulder at Sky as he continued to follow them. Increasing her pace, she called back to him. "Sky, don't you have something else you should be doing? Don't you have…kittens to drown, puppies to kick, orphans to mock…You know, 'You Things'."

"Nope. Stealing clothes and food put me over my quota of charitable deeds for the week," he replied in an equally sardonic tone.

"Touché."

They made it to the command center, and Z ushered David inside. Cruger, noticing their arrival, came to greet them. Z and Sky responded with a practiced salute and were surprised when David did the same with an experienced ease.

"Cadet Myers, I hope you found your new quarters accommodating," the commander said with a confidence that they would be exactly that.

David nodded. "Yes, sir. Though I haven't had a chance to meet my roommate."

Z listened with waning interest as Commander Cruger explained, "His squad was scheduled for training this afternoon, and soon enough you'll be joining them. We have high standards here at base, but I have no doubt that you'll put forth a complete effort."

David didn't look intimidated and just took the comment in stride. His nod was respectful and his face serious. "Of course, Commander."

Cruger was silent for a moment, almost as if he was appraising the young man, before he gave his own nod of acceptance. The canine then turned his attention towards Z, and she immediately straightened from the slouch she had fallen into during their exchange.

"Cadet Delgado and Tate, I'd like you to take him to meet the others."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Sir?"

The commander glanced over at David. "I suppose formal introductions were never made. Cadets, this is David Myers, the new green ranger."

**To be continued…**


	8. GreenEyed Monster

Dislaimer- I do not own Power Rangers and do not profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Green-Eyed Monster_

Sydney's eyes grew wide. "You were topless!" she squealed loudly enough for even Z to wince.

"It's not like I was naked, but yeah."

Sydney gave a low whistle. "So he got a nice long eyeful, huh?"

Face red with embarrassment, Z nodded. "But David was a real gentleman about the whole thing."

* * *

Sky stopped before turning the corner that led into the gym when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"…David was a real gentleman about the whole thing."

"Great, so David's already seen you naked. Now I have like no chance with him."

Sky's eyebrows shot up and his jaw stiffened.

"Yeah right."

"So then what? I'm sure you took you're time getting dressed. Was he as helpful with putting your clothes on as he was taking them off?"

"Syd!"

"What? I don't blame you. The man's gorgeous! I'm just surprised that you two are so casual about it."

Shoulders squared, eyes focused, Sky rounded the corner and made a beeline for the gossiping girls. Syd offered the red ranger a bright smile when she saw him approach. "Hey, Sky! You know eventually you're face is going to get stuck that way," she remarked when she saw his deep scowl.

"Where are Bridge and David?" he demanded without pause.

"Bridge was showing David the containment facilities and getting him hooked up with some standard passwords and i.d.'s," Syd offered as she continued going through her warm-up stretches.

"That's no excuse. They're late," Sky barked.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon," Syd said carelessly, not offended by Sky's abrasive demeanor.

Sky shook his head, maintaining an 'arms crossed and legs stiff' position, that he assumed when acting unreasonably. "I'm going to have to talk to the commander about this. David's not fitting in."

Z, who had to this point remained silent, glared at him. "What do you mean? He's a skilled fighter, good pilot, and a team player. Not to mention dedicated. He's perfect." There was something challenging about the way the last word rolled off her lips that caused Sky to stiffen.

"He's not good for the team. His work ethic is lax…"

Z snorted.

"…and there just isn't any team chemistry. He doesn't fit," Sky said with finality.

Syd cleared her throat. "Speaking of chemistry, I think I'll leave you two alone. I'll go hunt down David and Bridge."

Z shook her head. "Syd I really don't think that's necessary…"

There was a quiet 'click' and Z and Sky looked down at the sudden weight on their wrists. Eyes wide Z whipped around to look at Syd who was quickly retreating towards the gym doors. "Handcuffs…Syd!"

The blonde hastily shut the doors and pressed the PA button.

_"Look, you guys have been at each other's throats all week. We hate seeing you guys argue, especially when we know you'd rather be doing something else together. In my experience, handcuffs, padded walls, and a locked door can cure any illness, especially sexual tension."_

Z smacked her unbounded hand to her forehead. "This can't be happening," she groaned.

_"So you guys should just go at it: talk, yell, hit, and make-up. We'll just be in the observation deck watching everything you do and say while making sarcastic comments and jokes at your expense. But don't worry; we'll turn the intercom on one-way, so you wont hear a peep from us. Have fun!"_

Z looked back at Sky who was glaring at Syd through the door window. "I'm gonna kill her."

"Get in line."

**To be continued...** (The next chap is gonna be so fun to write!)


	9. Yield

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers or profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Yield _

"This is ridiculous," Sky grumbled under his breath as he slammed his fist against the door's control panel. "They've disabled the locking mechanism. What the hell do they want from us?"

"Reconciliation," Z offered from her position slumped against the wall, cuffed wrist dangling by Sky's side.

"Well, that's none of their business."

"I agree, but complaining isn't going to get us anywhere. Sticky fingers and company obviously isn't gonna let us out till we make some progress. Can you try being proactive for five minutes?"

* * *

Syd smiled wolfishly and casually flipped the two morphers in her hand with one elbow propped on the console in the observation deck above the two stranded rangers. "Love is a battlefield," she mused.

"So you're really not going to let them out? Isn't that kind of…cruel?"

Syd glanced over at David sympathetically. "Sorry, but you never would have had a chance with her. She and Sky share something special. You'll have to settle with the image of her half-naked."

Before David could even open his mouth, the door behind them slid open and Bridge along with the distinct smell of melted butter entered the room. "I've got the popcorn!"

"And I've got the show!" Syd responded cheerfully.

"Did I miss anything?" Bridge asked eagerly while taking a seat beside David.

Syd shook her head. "No. Z was just about to suggest a stress-relieving make-out session…either that or a profound conversation. It's hard to tell from all the way up here."

David looked incredulously between the two rangers on either side of him. Both were crouched as close as possible to the glass, nosily chomping away at handfuls of kernels, their eyes glued to the scene below. "This is disturbing."

* * *

"Me? I'm the one trying to get us out. You're just standing there doing nothing!"

Z closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly released it. Arguing would get them nowhere. Swallowing a biting comment, she tugged their linked hands towards her and squeezed his hand. "Sky, can we please not fight right now?"

He considered her sincere expression, and relaxing his shoulders, nodded stiffly. "Fine."

She took his grudging agreement in stride and motioned to the floor so they could have a seat. With a minor amount of struggling they managed to sit cross-legged facing each other with their linked hands dangling between them.

Neither sure about where to begin, they sat in silence for several moments before Z cleared her throat. "I never knew my parents," she started, "but neither did you. How do you know what they felt? What if they did love me? Maybe they were killed, or maybe they were forced to give me up, but I'd like to think that they cared for me, loved me even…"

"I never meant that they didn't care for you." Sky adverted his eyes from hers and toyed with a stray thread from the hem of his t-shirt.

"But you said…"

"I was angry."

Z shook her head with disbelief. "And that's an excuse?"

"No! It's just…" Sky motioned vaguely with his hand. "There's just something…It's you, alright!"

Z's jaw dropped. He was blaming her. That egotistical son of a… "Me! I'm the one responsible for your spitefulness?"

* * *

"No! Of course not, Z. I love you. Just say no!" Bridge jumped to his feet, pleading for Sky not to say…

* * *

"Yes!"

* * *

"Nooooooooo!" Bridge slumped against the console, banging his head against the glass repeatedly.

Syd moaned in frustration. "This is the guy we're supposed to follow onto the battlefield? Our fearless leader? It's a miracle we're all still alive! What. A. Moron!" She punctuated each word with a punch to David's arm, who grimaced with each hit but otherwise took it as a man (as well as any man being abused by a 5'6" blonde can).

_To be continued… _(I was going to do this scene in one post, but it was like six pages long, and I'm trying to keep the chapters short. Next one out shortly.)


	10. Closer

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers or profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are 

_Closer_

Z gritted her teeth. "You are such a…"

"No, I didn't mean that it's your fault that I insulted you," Sky amended quickly. "Sure what you said about my dad was provoking, but it's not just that—."

"And I'm sorry that I ever said that," Z said interrupted earnestly. "I just knew that you weren't telling the truth, that you were using your father as an excuse so you didn't have tell me what you really saw in your dream. After everything we had talked about, I thought we we're getting somewhere, I'm not sure where…but someplace where we have trust and we're open. And then **bam** Wastetar happens and…"

"Everything changes," Sky finished. Running his hands down his face, he sighed heavily before taking her hand in his. "Like I said, it wasn't what you said about my father that set me off. It was what I lied about, or more specifically, you, that got under my skin."

It took a moment for Z to understand, to make sense out of that last sentence, but eventually it came to her, and she was thrown. "You mean…romantically?"

"Yeah."

Syd stared and then blinked.

"What just happened?"

Bridge tipped his head to the side as if to make better sense about what he was seeing. "I have no idea."

David, who began to show interest in the proceedings, could only stare in confusion. "It's like they're talking in code. Maybe something Piglatin based?"

Snapping to attention Syd was on her feet, frantically scanning the controls. "We missed something! Quick, where's the rewind button? Help me find the rewind button!"

Brought out of his daze by Syd's shrieks, Bridge also began scouring the panels, as David watched with pursed lips. "This sucker's got T-vo?"

"Sky, why didn't you just tell me that I was in you dream?"

Sky was silent, and Z's shoulders slumped as she swallowed hard in comprehension. "I guess it was probably kind of upsetting seeing me, when you would have rather seen someone else, someone you would actually have feelings for."

Stunned at her misunderstanding, Sky grabbed her shoulder and shook her gently. "No, it wasn't like that at all. I…" He was lost, completely out of his element as he searched for some better way to make her understand what he had felt, was feeling in that very moment. It was a short falling, he knew, to not be able to communicate his feelings, and he silently begged for some sort of divine intervention or support.

"Z…"

"_-is not the rewind button!"_

"_Like I care. Now David thinks I'm a complete moron."_

"_Shhhhh! Sky is about to tell Z that the reason he's been acting like a jerk is because he has feelings for her, and the only reason he didn't tell her sooner was because he didn't think she would return his feelings. Not to mention it's against SPD order A-32b for any two rangers to have romantic relations."_

Sky glanced up at the observation room and then back at Z.

"Err…Bridge, I think they can hear us." "Really? Hey, can you two hear us?" 

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Sky nodded. "Um, yeah."

"_Oops. My bad. Didn't mean to interrupt."_

"…"

"_We're rootin' for you, man."_

"…"

Silence descended on them until Z bit her lip and asked, "Had you forgotten that they were—"

"Yeah."

Z nodded slowly. "And does that make you as uncomfortable as it makes me?"

"Definitely."

"And what Bridge said?"

"True."

A silence settled over them, Z unsure of what to say next, and Sky unsure of how she'll respond.

It all seemed so surreal, Z thought as she starred at their cuffed hands. She was one of Sky's Tate's deepest desires…and vice versa. Maybe she was dreaming again.

"I know that this is the last thing you want to hear from me," said Sky when he could no longer stand the silence. "And I know that you and David are…"

"Are what?" Z asked suspiciously.

"Look, its none of my business what you guys are doing, I just overheard you and Syd talking, and I don't think its right." He shifted under her penetrating gaze, and fought to keep his cheeks from flushing. "You deserve more than that."

"You think that David and I are having sex?" A smile broke out across Z's face and an airy laugh escaped her lips.

Sky, not one to be laughed at, frowned deeply. "You're not?"

"No, we're not. You just heard part of the story, if I had to guess." That smile was still playing at her lips.

Relief swept over Sky in a refreshing wave, and he allowed himself a moment to relish in it. She wasn't with David. That made things…less complicated, but still not easy. Sky allowed himself to reflect on the dream Wastetar had given him, and for a moment he imagined what it you would be like in reality. The moment of indulgence was short however as it occurred to him that Z had had a dream of her own, a romantic one she claimed.

"Z, you said you didn't tell the truth about your dream." He stared at her intently. "What was it really?"

She wondered briefly what would happen next if she confessed the desire that had been revealed to her, and slowly her smile grew serious. She cleared her throat and said, "I'll show you."

He became aware of her shifting towards him as she rose to her knees, the space between them sweetly shortening. Without ceremony their lips touched for the briefest of moments before she began to pull away, but Sky followed her retreat and grasped her arm with his free hand. "I missed it," he murmured. "Can you show me again?"

She smiled and leaned in for a longer, slower kiss.

"And we have liftoff ladies, and gentlemen!" Syd squealed and latched onto Bridge's arms as they spun around in circles.

"Do you know what this mean's, Syd?" asked Bridge gleefully.

"Why yes, Bridge, I do. I get my room to myself more often!"

"More nights off," Bridge sing-songed.

"And a more relaxed Sky!" she finished with her hands in the air.

David cleared his throat. "You mean that the two of you did all this for your own benefit?"

Syd gasped and touched a finely manicured hand to her chest. "How could you imply such a thing? We were just doing what was in the best interest of our friends."

Bridge nodded seriously. "I love those guys. We're all like…'" he motionged thoughtfully with his hands, "like…brothers and sisters. Except Z and Sky, of course! Because that would be kind of awkward if two siblings were making out. Definitely not brother and sister. I would go with a more love-hate relationship where they're not related in any way. But even if they did at one point have a 'brother-sister relationship,' it's not like they're actually brother and sister. They don't have the same parents or anything…or, maybe, they do. Z never knew her parents, so it's possible that Sky's could have been…eww! Incest!"

Syd rolled her eyes at Bridge's display before looking more sincerely at David. "The point is that we did this out of the goodness of our hearts. If we also happen to benefit from the outcome, who are we to argue?"

"…someone needs to tell them! Look how they're carrying on!" Bridge gasped.

David raised an eyebrow. "Who, indeed."

_To be continued…_


	11. Take My Hand

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers or profit from the use of its content.

40 Moments to Where We Are

_Take My Hand_

The night had started off awful with the prospect of being the worst first date in the history of the term.

When they arrived at the restaurant, a ritzy, well-to-do Mediterranean grill on the north side of town, Sky gave the host his name only to find the reservation he had made the week before to be non-existent. Neither he nor Z willing to wait the next two hours for any possible cancellations, they decided to leave and head south on empty stomachs and unfortunately an empty gas tank.

"I can't believe this is happening."

"It's kind of funny if you think about it."

Sky lifted his head off of the steering wheel to shoot Z a disbelieving look. "Funny? Us being stranded on the side of a country road in the middle of the night with no gas and no functioning cell phone is funny?"

Z shrugged, not as agitated as her counterpart. "Alright, maybe not funny, but ironic."

Leaning back against the leather seat in defeat, Sky cursed the dead cell phone in his hand. "How do you not have a cell phone? _Everyone_ has a cell phone. _Piggy_ has a cell phone."

"Awww," Z cooed cheekily, "do you two call each other every night before you go to bed, talk about how your day was, and swap corny 'an alien walked into a bar' jokes?"

Sky didn't laugh.

Had he not been in such a sour mood, Z would have teased him further, but instead she squelched her smile and said more seriously, "Who would I call? Practically everyone I talk to on a regular basis works at SPD, and I can just use my communicator."

"Jack."

Z suddenly found the woodwork of the dashboard very interesting. "Jack and I stay in touch in other ways…"

Sky's look of curiosity quickly melted into one of suspicion. "Wait, you don't mean…"

Z refused to meet his eyes.

"Jack kept his com link! That's SPD property! Property we had to replace when it went missing, or, as it turns out, got stolen."

"He just wanted to be able to keep an eye on us in case something went wrong and we he needed to help," she explained calmly to a riled Sky.

"Of course you would defend him." For his part, Sky was disconcerted, and not just because Jack has stolen an expensive piece of technology, but because Z had known all along and hadn't said a word.

It was Z's turn to be affronted, and she cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "What's that supposed to mean?"

After taking a calming breath, he looked out his own window at the surrounding darkness. "It's just, you and Jack have a history. You grew up on the streets together and because of that you have this…bond." He emphasized the word with a vague hand gesture between the two of them. "He knows so much more about you than I do, and you'd do anything to help one another." Sky glanced nervously at her. "It bothers me."

Turning back around so she was facing forward and could look thoughtfully through the windshield, Z allowed her eyelids to fall partly closed as her breaths began to deepen and slow. She took time to consider Sky's words and concentrated on the sound of him breathing next to her. In the past week she had learned more about Sky Tate than she'd ever expected to discover, and the content proved to be more and more surprising.

Reaching out, she brushed her long, thin fingers across his clenched hand until she felt the muscles relax and she could loosely entwine their fingers while massaging a thumb against his skin. "Jack and I do have a history," she admitted without opening her eyes, "but you and I have a future, a good one I think."

There was a pause in which the only discernable sound was the hum of a passing car overwhelming the chirping cricket chorus sounding from the tall, swaying grass outside her window. Then she could hear the material of his shirt rustling against the seat as he raised their joined hands to his lips. His warm breath against her wrist made her smile. "I think you're right."

_To be continued..._


End file.
